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Last updated 2020-04-10.

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Samuel Workman, Ph.D. 

I am a political scientist working at the intersection of public policy, data science, and statistics. I specialize in public policy, the bureaucracy, regulatory politics, and statistics. My interests involve text-as-data, machine learning, and statistical modeling, especially classificationj stochastic processes, and maximum likelihood methods. I teach courses in public policy, agenda setting, regulatory policy, and statistics. My current academic projects examine congressional bureaucracies, the regulatory politics of education policy, and agenda setting in food policy.

I also provide statistical consulting in the private sector, specializing in the grocery floral category. My work focuses on data-driven decision-making and management, custom reporting, and data-informed programming.

Skills & Experience

  • Policy research, data management, statistical analysis & modeling, presentation, reporting & data visualization, machine learning, storytelling with data
  • Project Management, grant writing, team leadership & coordination, public speaking
  • Market, sales, and inventory analysis, reporting, and visualization, data-driven decision-making and management
  • Languages: , \(\LaTeX\), SAS, SPSS, VBA, SQL, Markdown, CSS, HTML
  • Applications: Rstudio, WinEdt, Beamer, binb, xaringan, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, SQLite, MS Access

Academic Positions

Associate Professor of Political Science

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2016

  • Faculty Affiliate, National Institute for Risk & Resilience
  • Faculty Member, Big Data & Statistics Working Group
  • Faculty Affiliate, The Comparative Agendas Project, University of Texas

Assistant Professor of Political Science

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2016 - 2014

  • Faculty Affiliate, Center for Risk & Crisis Management
  • Faculty Affiliate, Center for Intelligence & National Security

Lecturer in American Politics

Sciences Po

Bordeaux, FR

2014

Assistant Professor of Government

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2013 - 2010

  • Associate Director, Policy Agendas Project

J.J. “Jake” Pickle Research Fellow

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2010 - 2008

Private Sector Data & Statistical Consulting

S. Workman - Google Scholar

Interests
  • Public Policy
  • Regulation
  • Bureaucracy
  • Agenda Setting
  • Education Policy
  • Use of Research & Data
  • Food Policy & Food Systems
Approaches
  • Text-as-Data
  • Text Classification
  • Storytelling with Data
  • Machine Learning
  • Maximum Likelihood
  • Stochastic Processes
Current Projects
  • Use of research in Education regulations
  • The politics of data & numbers
  • Complexity & the regulation of GMOs
  • The politics of food security

Chief Data & Statistical Consultant

Hi-Rise Balloons & Floral Supplies, Inc.

Austin, TX USA

2019 - 2018

  • Statistical Analysis, Reporting, & Visualization
  • Custom reporting & data-informed programming
  • Sales, Marketing, & Inventory Analysis

Editorial Positions & Boards

Associate Editor

Public Administration

Wiley-Blackwell

2020 - 2016

Editorial Board Member

Policy Studies Journal

Wiley-Blackwell

2020 - 2019

Education

Ph.D., Political Science

University of Washington

Seattle, WV

2009 - 2005

  • Fields: American Politics, Public Policy, & Research Methodology
  • Dissertation: Economizing Attention: Agendas and the Influence of Bureaucracy in American Politics
  • Graduate Fellow of the Center for American Politics & Public Policy

M.A., Political Science

University of Washington

Seattle, WV

2005 - 2003

  • Fields: American Politics & Research Methodology
  • Manager: Policy Agendas Project
  • Donald R. Matthews Fellow

M.A., Political Science

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

2003 - 2001

  • Fields: American Politics & Public Policy
  • Certification: Public Policy Analysis
  • Philip V. McGance Fellow

B.S., Industrial Relations & Human Resources

West Virginia University, IT

Montgomery, WV

2001 - 1997

  • Specialization: Economics & Labor Relations

Training & Certificates

Award in Wines, WSET Level 1

Wine & Spirits Education Trust - London, UK

Dallas Wine Education Center

2019

Grape Management (Certificate)

Oklahoma State University

Perkins, OK

2016

Pregnancy Determination in Cattle (Certificate)

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Gainsville, TX

2015

AI Management in Cattle

North Central Texas College

Gainsville, TX

2015

Program in Quantitative Methods

Inter-Consortium for Political & Social Research, University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

2005

Public Policy Analysis (Certificate)

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

2003

Books

Methods of the Policy Process

Routlege

Abingdon, UK

2020

  • Christopher M. Weible & Samuel Workman
  • Under Contract

Grants & Awards

Funding Organization Review

National Science Foundation

  • Political Science
  • Law & Society
  • Science of Organizations
  • Decision, Risk, & Management Sciences

Organizational Problem Solving and the Use of Research in Education Policy

National Science Foundation, Science of Organizations, Award No. 1827494, $455,640

N/A

2021 - 2018

  • Samuel Workman (PI) and Deven Carlson (Co-PI)

Economizing Attention: Agendas and the Influence of Bureaucracy in American Policymaking

*National Science Foundation, Political Science Program Dissertation Improvement Grant, Award No. 0819429, $11,999

N/A

2010 - 2008

  • Bryan D. Jones (PI) and Samuel Workman (Co-PI)

Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Grant

College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin, $34,770

N/A

2010 - 2009

  • Bryan D. Jones (PI) and Samuel Workman (Co-PI)

Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship

College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin, $2,000

N/A

2010

  • Samuel Workman

Travel Grant

Center for Statistics in the Social Sciences, University of Washington, $1,000

N/A

2008

  • Samuel Workman

Articles

Drawing practical lessons from punctuated equilibrium theory

Policy & Politics, Vol. 46 no. 2 (April), pp. 293–308

N/A

2018

  • Chris Koski & Samuel Workman

Problem Definition and Information Provision by Federal Bureaucrats

Cognitive Systems Research, Vol. 43 (June), pp. 140–152

N/A

2017

  • Samuel Workman, JoBeth Shafran, & Tracey Bark

Knot Policy Theory

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 44 no. S1, pp. 123–132

N/A

2016

  • Christian Breunig, Chris Koski, & Samuel Workman

Widespread Policy Disruption: Terrorism, Public Risks, and Homeland Security

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 37 no. 2, pp. 171–194

N/A

2009

  • Peter J. May, Joshua Sapotichne, & Samuel Workman

Widespread Policy Disruption and Interest Mobilization

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 37 no. 4, pp. 793–815

N/A

2009

  • Peter J. May, Joshua Sapotichne, & Samuel Workman

Information Processing and Policy Dynamics

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 37 no. 1, pp. 75–92

N/A

2009

  • Samuel Workman, Bryan D. Jones, & Ashley E. Jochim

Organizing Attention: Responses of the Bureaucracy to Agenda Disruption

Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory, Vol. 18 no. 4, pp. 517–541

N/A

2008

  • Peter J. May, Samuel Workman, & Bryan D. Jones

Policy Coherence and Policy Domains

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 34 no. 3, pp. 381–403

N/A

2006

  • Peter J. May, Joshua Sapotichne, & Samuel Workman

Book Chapters

Struggle and Triumph in Fusing Policy Process and Comparative Research

Theories of the Policy Process, Chap. 9, pp. 329–362

N/A

2017

  • Jale Tosun & Samuel Workman

Communications Frameworks and the Supply of Information in Policy Subsystems

Policy Paradigms in Theory and Practice: Discourses, Ideas, and Anomalies in Public Policy Dynamics, Chap. 12, pp. 239–268

N/A

2015

  • Samuel Workman & JoBeth Shafran

Policymaking, Bureaucratic Discretion, and Overhead Democracy

The Oxford Handbook of American Bureaucracy, Chap. 26, pp. 612–637

N/A

2010

  • Samuel Workman, Bryan D. Jones, & Ashley E. Jochim

The Paradox of Agency Issue Attention: The Bush Administration and Homeland Security

President George W. Bush’s Influence over Bureaucracy and Policy: Extraordinary Times, Extraordinary Powers, Chap. 7, 123–146

N/A

2009

  • Peter J. May & Samuel Workman

Behavioral Rationality and the Policy Processes: Toward A New Model of Organizational Information Processing

Handbook of Public Policy, Chap. 3, pp. 49–74

N/A

2006

  • Bryan D. Jones, Graeme Boushey, & Samuel Workman

Blogs

Trump, Governance, and the Nature of Policy Reform

Policy Studies Journal Yearbook

N/A

2018

  • Hank C. Jenkins-Smith & Samuel Workman

Using information processing theory to build a smarter government

Policy & Politics Blog

N/A

2018

  • Chris Koski & Samuel Workman

How do we get governments to make better decisions?

Paul Cairney’s Policy Blog

N/A

2017

  • Chris Koski & Samuel Workman

Policy Implementation, Representation, and Democratic Governance

Midwest Political Science Association Blog

N/A

2016

  • Samuel Workman

Interviews

OU Nighlty Super Tuesday 2020

Interviewed by Lindsey Gibbs, OU Nightly Anchor, March 3rd

N/A

2020

  • Samuel Workman

Episode 17: Bryan Jones and Frank Baumgartner

The Co-Authored Podcast, Megaphone - Heath Brown, Host

N/A

2020

  • Samuel Workman

Episode 8: Education Policy & Problem Solving

Policy Agenda Podcast, STITCHER - E.J.Fagan & Katherine Madel, Hosts, April 30th

N/A

2019

  • Samuel Workman & Deven Carlson

Reviews & Responses

Thinking in Public about Public Affairs: A Response to, and Expansion of, Zuo, Qian, and Zhao

Policy Studies Journal, Vol. 47 no. S1, pp. S181–S185

N/A

2019

  • Samuel Workman

Review of The Politics of Major Policy Reform in Postwar America, Edited by Jeffrey A. Jenkins and Sidney M. Milkis

Perspectives on Politics, Vol. 14 no. 2, pp. 567–568

N/A

2016

  • Samuel Workman

Fellowships & Scholarships

College Research Fellowship

College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2011

Fellow of the J.J. “Jake” Pickle Regents Chair in Congressional Studies

College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2011 - 2010

Graduate Fellow in American Politics and Public Policy

Center for American Politics and Public Policy, University of Washington

Seattle, WA USA

2008 - 2003

Clifford C. Clogg Scholarship

Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI USA

2005

Donald R. Matthews Fellow

Department of Political Science, University of Washington

Seattle, WA USA

2004 - 2003

Phillip V. McGance Fellow

Department of Political Science, West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV USA

2003 - 2001

Teaching

Approach & Philosophy

My approach to teaching is interactive and geared toward skills development. I also emphasize bringing research & data into the classroom. Excersizes involve considerable writing, story-telling with data, and opportunities to develop policy briefs and data analytic skills.

Ph.D. Advisees

  • Gloria Noble, Ph.D. (exp. 2021)
  • Periloux Peay, Ph.D. (exp. 2020): Georgia State University
  • Tracey Bark, Ph.D. (2019): Auburn University, Montgomery

Ph.D. Committees

The University of Oklahoma

  • Aarika Forney, Ph.D. (exp. 2020)
  • Lihui Zhang, Ph.D. (exp. 2020)
  • Matthew Geras, Ph.D. (exp. 2020)
  • Elizabeth Bell, Ph.D. (2019)
  • Jessica Hayden, Ph.D. (2018)
  • Paul Valentine, Ph.D. (2018)
  • Victoria Rickard, Ph.D. (2017)
  • David Oakley, M.A. (2017)

Ph.D. Committees

The University of Texas at Austin

  • Jonathan Lewallen, Ph.D. (2017)
  • Michelle Wolfe, Ph.D. (2016)
  • JoBeth Shafran, Ph.D. (2015)
  • Sarat Krishnan, Ph.D. (2015)
  • Daniel Sternemann, Ph.D. (2013)
  • Dorothy Morgan, Ph.D. (2012)

Graduate Teaching

Maximum Likelihood Estimation

University of Oklahoma, P SC 5940

Norman, OK USA

2020

  • 2017 & 2020

Agenda Setting in Public Policy

University of Oklahoma, P SC 5053

Norman, OK USA

2019

  • 2017 & 2019

Data Visualization

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 5940 & The University of Texas at Austin, GOV 385L

Norman, OK & Austin, TX

2016

  • 2010, 2014, & 2016

Intermediate Analysis of Political Data

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 5933

Norman, OK USA

2015

Field Seminar in Public Policy

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 6223

Norman, OK USA

2014

Bureaucracy & Policy Implementation

The University of Texas at Austin, GOV 384M

Austin, TX USA

2011

Undergraduate Teaching

Bureaucracy & Citizenship

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 3113

Norman, OK USA

2020

  • 2014 & 2020

Introducation to Political Analysis

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 2013

Norman, OK USA

2019

  • 2018 (2 sections) & 2019

Regulatory Policy

The University of Oklahoma, P SC 4213

Norman, OK USA

2016

  • 2015 & 2016

American Government

The University of Texas at Austin, GOV 310

Austin, TX USA

2013

  • 2010 - 2013 (13 sections)

Public Lectures

Undergrad Mentorship

  • Ryan Marsh, B.A. (exp. 2020)
  • Royce Chang, B.S. (2012)

University of Kentucky

Martin School of Public Policy & Administration

Lexington, KY USA

2017

  • “Congressional Bureaucracy, Policy Analysis, and Governance in the Administrative State”

The University of Texas at Arlington

Haggard Lecture Series

Arlington, TX USA

2017

  • “Delegated Oversight, Institutional Conflict, and the Macro Dynamics of Legislative Policy Analysis”

University of Colorado, Denver

School of Public Affairs

Denver, CO USA

2017

  • “Governance and Adaptive Problem Solving in the Administrative State”

The University of Texas at Austin

Thompson Center Continuing Education

Austin, TX USA

2013

  • “Teaching AP American Politics & Policy”

Aarhus University

Department of Political Science

Aarhus, DK

2013

  • “Bureaucracy and Problem Solving: Information Processing in the Administrative State”

The University of Oklahoma

Department of Political Science

Norman, OK USA

2012

  • “Bureaucracy and “Information Processing: Risk and Governing in the Administrative State”

The University of Oklahoma

Department of Political Science

Norman, OK USA

2011

  • “Information Processing & Policy Dynamics”

BI Norwegian Business School

Department of Law & Governance

Oslow, NO

2011

  • “Attention, Politics, or Performance? Competing Influences on Oversight by Analytical Bureaucracies in the Regulatory State”

Vanderbilt University

Department of Political Science

N/A

2011

  • “Confronting the Administrative Presidency: Analytical Bureaucracy and Congressional Governance”

Texas A & M University

Department of Political Science

College Station, TX USA

2010

  • “The Supply and Demand of Bureaucratic Signals”

The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Government

Austin, TX USA

2008

  • “Bureaucratic Signaling and Congressional Priorities in Securities Regulation”

University of Colorado

Department of Political Science

Boulder, CO USA

2008

  • “Bureaucratic Signaling and Congressional Priorities in Securities Regulation”

University of Oxford

Nuffield College

Oxford, UK

2007

  • “The Paradox of Agency Issue Attention: The Bush Administration and the Undermining of Homeland Security”

Conference Presentations

Chair or Organizer

  • International Conference on Public Policy 2015
  • Midwest Political Science Association 2010–2013 & 2017
  • Southern Political Science Association 2011
  • Southwestern Social Science Association 2017
American Political Science Association (APSA)
2002, 2005, 2007–2010, 2012, 2015–2017 & 2019
Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA)
2003, 2006–2011, 2013, 2016–2017 & 2019
Comparative Agendas Projects Conference (CAP)
2010, 2014, 2016, & 2017
European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)
2014 & 2017
European Political Science Association (EPSA)
2016
Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA)
2017
International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP)
2013, 2015, & 2019
International Conference on Food Studies
2012 & 2015
Western Political Science Association (WPSA)
2014
Southern Political Science Association (SPSA)
2009 & 2020
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)
2005–2007, & 2019

Positions in Discipline

Discussant

  • Midwest Political Science Association 2010–2013, 2016–2017, & 2019
  • Comparative Policy Agendas Project Conference 2014 & 2017
  • Congress & History 2016
  • Southern Political Science Association 2009 & 2011
  • Southwestern Social Science Association 2017
  • Association of Public Policy and Management 2019

Mentor

American Political Science Association

N/A

2020 - 2016

Mentor

Midwest Political Science Association

N/A

2020 - 2016

Section Chair, Public Management

Southern Political Science Association

N/A

2019

Presidential Selection Committee, Midwest Public Administration Caucus (MPAC)

Midwest Political Science Association

N/A

2018

Committee Chair, Best Paper in Public Policy

American Political Science Association

N/A

2016

Section Chair, Bureaucratic Politics

Midwest Political Science Association

N/A

2015 - 2014

Section Chair, Public Policy

Midwest Political Science Association

N/A

2012

Executive Council, Public Administration Section

American Political Science Association

N/A

2012 - 2009

Service

University

Inter-Consortium for Political & Social Research (ICPSR) Representative

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2017

Outside-Committee Member (ACR Service) for Paul Plummer (Ph.D. - Math)

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2017

Signature Initiative Committee: Advancing the Study of Water, Natural Resources, and the Environment

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2019 - 2017

Department

Chair, Research Methodology Field

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2016

Chair, Strategic Planning Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2016

Graduate Admissions & Funding Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2020 - 2014

Peer Teaching Evaluations—Allyson Shortle and Colin Barry

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2018

Moderator, 3rd Presidential Debate, OU Votes

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2016

Carl Albert Center (CAC) Search Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2016

MPA Admissions Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2015

American Politics Search Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2014

Ewing Fellowship Selection Committee

The University of Oklahoma

Norman, OK USA

2014

Associate Director, Policy Agendas Project

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2013 - 2009

Graduate Admiissions Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2013 - 2012

Peer Teaching Review Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2013 - 2011

Human Subjects Review Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2013 - 2009

Course Transformation Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2011

Latino Public Policy Search Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2011 - 2010

Centennial Lecture Series Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2011 - 2010

Chair, J.J. Pickle Speaker Series in American Institutions, Public Policy, & American Political Development

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2010 - 2009

Library Committee

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX USA

2010 - 2009

Coordinator, Student Seminar Series, Center for Statistics & the Social Sciences

University of Washington

Seattle, WA USA

2008 - 2007

Coordinator, Workshop on Public Policy Processes, Center for American Politics & Public Policy

University of Washington

Seattle, WA USA

2008 - 2007

Organizer, The Fifth Republic at Fifty: French Politics and Agenda Setting in Comparative Perspective

University of Washington

Seattle, WA USA

2007